MUSKEGON — Expect the unexpected with this year’s Summer Celebration Fourth of July fireworks.

A new company, American Fireworks of Ohio, is doing them and the company has its own term for what will be lighting up the sky (and Muskegon Lake) — a pyro-musical.

“It’s something that will be really amazing,” said Brian Teeling, lead pyro-technician for Muskegon’s show. “People will go away with their jaws dropping. They’ll go away saying they can’t wait to see it again next year.”

The fireworks will begin after the final of tonight’s three musical acts, which typically is about 10:20 p.m. The concerts begin at 6 p.m. with Jimmy Buffett tribute band Live Bait and will be followed by Kalamazoo’s Matt Giraud of “American Idol” jazz fame. Tribute band Echoes of Pink Floyd takes the stage at 9 p.m. for a concert and laser-light show.

Concert-goers will get to see all the concerts and the fireworks for $20 from the Heritage Landing venue. However, those wanting to view the fireworks only from inside the concert grounds also must pay the $20.

Roberto Sorgi, owner of American Fireworks, said the 28-minute show will be choreographed to 30 songs, including tunes from Beyonce, Jimmy Buffett, Kiss and ZZ Top.

The fireworks will be launched from a barge in Muskegon Lake.

“It will feature products never seen before in Muskegon, such as 3-D effects, which will be neat,” Sorgi said. “We will always have something going on, from water to sky.”

This includes a shell that explodes in the water. “There’s a product that shoots into the water and burns on the water,” Teeling said.

That might sound dangerous, but Teeling said it isn’t.

“A computer fires the entire show,” he said. “Nobody is near the product the entire show. … This is as state-of-the-art as you can possibly get with fireworks.”

There’s also a safety perimeter of about 800 feet around the barge where no boats are permitted.

In addition, it’s not something you throw together in a couple of days.

“We’ve spent over a week on the Muskegon show — a week for 28 minutes,” Sorgi said.

The company has about 100 displays of various sizes going on over the Fourth of July weekend. Joe Austin, Summer Celebration’s executive director, said that budget-wise, Muskegon is in the top 15 shows the company’s putting on.

While Austin didn’t reveal how much the display costs, it is believed to be in the $40,000-$50,000 range.

Source : mlive.com

Location:  Memorial Lawn

Stone Mountain park honors our troops and their families, in a three-day celebration of American spirit at Atlanta’s largest Memorial Day Weekend celebration.

Enjoy the park with an all-attractions Adventure Pass which will provide entry to all Stone Mountain Park attractions including Sky Hike, one of the nation’s largest adventure courses set high in the tree tops. Get your heart racing in a thrilling Journey to the Center of the Earth 4D Adventure located in Crossroads®. For an unprecedented view of the Atlanta Skyline, hop aboard the Summit Skyride. And of course, your family is sure to enjoy the Scenic Railroad, Mini-Golf, the Great Barn and more! Ask about adding a Ride the Ducks™ tour to your Adventure Pass for only $8 (plus tax).

Plus, join Stone Mountain Park as we salute our troops during the Lasershow Spectacular with a special fireworks finale. Marvel as the skies above light up in a specially choreographed musical tribute honoring the brave men and women who protect our country. The special fireworks display can be seen Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Memorial Weekend after the regular Lasershow Spectacular.

Save even more for your family members when you pre-purchase your tickets at the following bases:

Dobbins Air Reserve Base – Marietta, GA 
Fort McPherson – Atlanta, GA 
Fort Rucker ITT - Dale County, AL  
Kings Bay MWR ITT- Kings Bay, GA  
MCCS MWR ITT – Albany, GA
Robins Air Force Base – Warner Robins, GA 
Maxwell Air Force Base – Montgomery, AL 
Naval Supply Corps School - Athens, GA
NAS Jacksonville – Jacksonville, FL 
Mayport Naval Station – Duval County/Mayport, FL
Omega World Travel (Fort Benning) – Columbus, GA

Be sure to take advantage of this free admission special offer for active duty military & veterans along with special savings for their families.

In addition, military ID holders will also receive 20% off most food, beverage and merchandise items each day during Memorial Weekend. Restricions apply to glow vendors, existing deals/coupons and sundries. Simply present your military ID at the register to receive your discount.

Not a member of the military, but still looking for a value? Head to your neighborhood Kroger for best ticket pricing on Adventure Passes and Mountain Memberships.

Heroes and sports medleys plus a patriotic finale including choreographed state-of-the-art graphics are also inlcuded. You’ll also hear some of your favorites like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” “An American Trilogy” and “Celestial Soda Pop”.

Relax on the lawn as Stone Mountain is transformed into a natural amphitheater.  The Stone Mountain Park signature event combines colorful lasers, surround sound and special effects into a 40 minute light show, precisely choreographed to music.

Don’t miss the Flame Cannon effect and the Laser Canopy that creates a ceiling of light right over your head. The grand fireworks finale makes your evening complete. The Lasershow is free with your $10.00 vehicle entrance to Stone Mountain Park.*

Everything you need to enjoy the Lasershow is right near the Laser lawn at the all-new Marketplace. From fresh food including deli sandwiches, salads and fruit as well as heartier fare, Marketplace is the perfect stop along your way to a fun-filled evening with friends and family. Blankets are also available for purchase at Marketplace if you’d like to enjoy your food while watching the Lasershow.

Stone Mountain Park is in the process of restoring the Laser Lawn to make it easier and more enjoyable for guests to view the historical mountain and its carving. Please note that during this restoration and renovation period, only the lower lawn section will be available during the Lasershow. Parking for the Lasershow is available in the Crossroads, Triangle and Yellow Daisy lots.

Click HERE to view the Lasershow schedule.

Source : Stone Mountain Park Festivals & Events

The show, performed this summer in the theme park’s Aqua Stadium, featured a floating water screen, four laser systems, and 18 fog generators. The laser-projected girl gave the audience instructions (such as waving hands, clapping, and singing along to the music). “Surprisingly, the audience really followed even the most demanding actions and this concept really had a booster effect,” said Hennig. To add more excitement, the audience was given small battery-powered fiber lamps that turned the audience area into a sea of moving lights.

Source : The Laserist

UVA were commissioned by Virgin Media to create ‘an immersive light installation celebrating 10 years of broadband in the UK’. It comprises a series of laser-based experimental light works which flow through the labyrinthine spaces of the Bargehouse, the four-storey ex-warehouse on London’s South Bank.

On entering the space, visitors are asked to speak into a suspended microphone to answer questions displayed on the wall in front of them. Their answers follow them around the building as they explore the various installations over four floors.

These sounds and others, as well as light, are carried around the building using fibre optics, thus tying in with the broadband theme. See a video of the installation here

Source : Creative Review

United Visual Artists (UVA) was commissioned by Virgin Media to create an immersive light installation on London’s South Bank, to mark the tenth anniversary of broadband in the UK. “Speed of Light” is a series of installations that explore the themes of communication and modernity. Stripped back to its materials, fiber-optic is a thin strand of glass, with nothing more than a flickering beam of light. UVA have used this beam as the starting point for their work. The installations dramatize the experience of using fiber-optic communication, re-imagining it as an immersive environment. The installation officially opened a few days back, with images being made available, courtesy of Creative Review.

Source : Hypebeast

Starts Feb 12:

Join friends or family at False Creek to see the nightly laser light shows which will take place at the LiveCity Yaletown location. A large pipe in False Creek will stream water high into the air providing the backdrop for what will become a vivid backdrop to all the excitement. Across False Creek you will be able to see the Olympic Athlete’s Village. The City of Vancouver says the fireworks and water show will start in the late evening, but they don’t provide a start time. Once we have this, we’ll post it here. For a map showing you how to get to David Lam Park, click here.

http://www.AUTUMNLIGHTSLA.com

http://www.bpmmagazine.net/2009/09/autumn-lights-la-09-at-the-standard-downtown-la-starts-917/

http://musicblips.dailyradar.com/story/autumn-lights-la-09-at-the-standard-downtown-la-starts/

http://www.downtownla.com/0_01_eventDetail.asp?EventID=946

With the same cost of $25,000 the 30-minute Tidelands Park laser show was tagged to be an environmentally friendly alternative to fireworks show.

Hofbrau Restaurant, Great American Fish Co. and Giovanni’s Fish Market said they had near-record figures Friday and Sunday, but saw decreases in average business ranging from fifteen to twenty-five percent on Saturday compared to last year, owners said.

Owners of all three establishments said that they would be concerned if a laser show is planned again for ext year. They would definitely be sending complaints to the city representatives.

Although Mayor Janice Peters did not receive any complaints Monday afternoon after the festivities, some residents told her that they cannot see the show from their homes.

She favored the laser show as it is an environment friendly alternative which is better for Morro bay and its key species.  Morro Bay being home to a heron rookery, peregrine falcon nests and snowy plover will be best served by  having laser shows instead.

Comments received by the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce will be reviewed and be used whether or not to have another laser show next year, CEO Peter Candela said.

“What we try to do is listen and maybe change things so we have more of a balance of what people want”, he said.  “There are a lot of different directions we could go, but it’s certainly going to be evolving”.

This article is based on THE TRIBUNE (http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/775600.html)